Indonesia Helps Search for Missing Malaysian Airlines

Medan, N Sumatra (Antara) - The Indonesian military continues the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines focusing on Indonesian areas in accordance with the coordinate given by the Malaysian government. "Our task is to monitor the coordinates within our territory in accordance with Malaysia's requests," Commander of the Air Squadron 5 Lt Col Bambang Sudewo, stated here on Wednesday. The Malaysian authorities gave a number of geographic coordinates including within the Malaysian and Thailand territories where the plane might be missing, he explained. "But, we stick to our territories. We don't want to cross to Malaysia's territories as they might complain and it could endanger our flight," he added. He added that the search was particularly focused on the waters off Perak Island, northern Sumatra that shares the border with Malaysia and Thailand. "We will remain here for one week. If there is an instruction to continue the search, we will change the plane and crew," he explained. The Malaysian Airlines' flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared south of Vietnam with 239 passengers, including seven Indonesians, on Friday, as per BBC reports. Air and sea rescue teams have been searching an area of the South China Sea, south of Vietnam for over 30 hours, but there have been no definite sightings of wreckage. Rescue teams looking for the plane have now widened their search area. (*)